Hi all! I'm new to this forum. I love kombucha and a few days ago, received my first kombucha brewing kit in the mail and eagerly got to work on making my first brew.

It's been 3 full days (I know I have to wait typically between 7-14 days) and I periodically check on it just to see developments and to make sure there's no mold, etc. I tasted a tiny bit and it's simply delightful! Of course it's still very sweet but it's really starting to get that delicious, spritzy fermented flavor. I took a picture of it out of excitement and then I wondered to myself if that was some type of mold? It's not green and it's not fuzzy. It's flat/smooth, like an extension of the SCOBY mushroom itself. Can someone with more experience confirm that this is the SCOBY is healthy and making new cultures (or whatever is going on here?)

but, well, my first and second batch are quite sour and really not drinkable. i had a massive stomachache after drinking one cup one day. has anyone has experiences like this? so i just change the type of tea or something to mix it up? i wonder if continuous brewing will eventually yield better kombucha?

I havent made it before but I believe you waited too long for your taste. Don't wait so long before you bottle and carb. The longer you let it ferment, the more sour it will be, also you can back sweeten it with juices and what not when you bottle or drink.

thank you, tannnick. i started bottling earlier-- i made a new batch on wednesday and 3 days later i started drinking because it was already effervescent and slightly tart (but still on the sweeter side). but i'm still getting stomachaches! it seems too strong to me, too acidy. any tips on how to get it less acidy? i already made like 4-5 batches (continuous brew so i've poured out some of the really acidy/sour liquid before adding new tea) but they've all been too harsh for my tummy (and i have a stomach made of rocks!)

I have seen a lot of kombucha with fresh ginger or pressed ginger juice in it. The ginger, I am sure, is to calm the upsetness. Also, you can cut down the tartness/acidity by adding your favorite fruit juice, like cherry or orange, can make it more sweet. Google search the other companies, like GT or High Country, and see the flavors and additives they put in it.

ooh thanks again tannnick! i just made a ginger tea kombucha brew and while i really liked the flavor it was too strong... so i bottled some and added some green tea (honey added) to each bottle-- tastes GREAT! not as strong, tastes good, and still fizzy enough (though not not as fizzy as GT's.. wonder how they do that?!) i'm also going to experiment with other fruit juices and with frozen and dried fruits. (i read somewhere about putting dried fruits into bottled kombucha for a few days can change/sweeten the flavor...) we'll see! thanks again for the tips, i'll update again soon!